Service Design YAP How to pitch and deliver great work when your client doesn't speak "Design", with John Lynch
May 7, 2025
In this discussion, John Lynch, founder of Context Studio in Dublin, shares his insights on integrating design into diverse environments. He highlights the challenge of advocating for design in places that undervalue it, emphasizing collaborations that enhance public services. John discusses the balance between innovation and renovation, and the importance of engaging marginalized communities. He also reflects on the role of playful facilitation in co-design workshops and the significance of aligning design with strategic outcomes in public health.
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Public-Service Focused Design Practice
- Context Studio focuses on people-centred service design with a strong public sector emphasis.
- They combine qualitative research, some data discovery, and co-design to improve public services in Ireland.
Earn Trust Before You Pitch
- Spend time building relationships and explaining design before projects start.
- Find people already using a design mindset and join them to get traction inside organisations.
Field Research That Changed Direction
- CIID pushed John into intense field research with marginalised groups which transformed his approach.
- That experience cemented the value of talking to lived-experience participants before designing solutions.
